I’m a hardcore thrift shopper. This isn’t news to anyone. I even wrote an entire book on how to thrift shop. And as much as I love secondhand shopping, I also make sure to donate my clothes as well, like I did in a major closet purge a few years ago.But over the past two, maybe three, years I stopped donating all of my clothes there. Sure, I still drop a few bags off every now and then, but all of my clothes? Nope, I’ve stopped doing that.While we’d all like to think we’re doing the eco-friendly and charitable thing by donating our clothes to secondhand stores, it doesn’t always work out that way.

When I travel anywhere, I tend to do a bit of thrift shopping. I think one of the reasons I pack a carry-on bag like a pro is because I want to make sure I have enough room for any thrifted items I bring back home.So when I went to Finland a few weeks ago {Helsinki and then Turku}, I wasn’t really sure if I’d have time to hit up a thrift store, but as soon as I arrived in Turku, Finland’s oldest city, I immediately spotted not one, but two secondhand shops.I. Was. Stoked. And it also felt like that was the universe’s way of saying, “Patrice, you must thrift.”Here’s what I found while thrift shopping in Turku.

It's safe to say that as a hardcore thrift shopper {I've been thrifting for pretty much all my life!}, I've found some serious gems. I'm talking pieces that are absolute showstoppers and have people asking, "where did you get that??" and the garments that make me smile every time I see them hanging in my closet.While it's hard to choose favorites, I thought it was time for me to round up my best thrift store scores and share the tips I used to find them...so you can find some gems as well at the thrift shop.Thrift Store Favorites: red vintage Oscar de la Renta wool and velvet trim coat

Another Fashion Week has come and gone and honestly? Blah! I've never been a huge fan of Fashion Week. I mean, I get it. It's amazing to see the designs, what's trending for the next season and the overall high energy being around other creatives. But after experiencing two or three New York Fashion Weeks back in the day, I can honestly say I'm over it.However, one thing I do enjoy seeing or reading about is the emerging trends. The runways are for showing us what's new and what we'll be seeing a ton of in stores. But more specifically, I love seeing how the "new" trends are things that have been done for years and can easily be found at any thrift or vintage shop.And there's one specific fashion trend for 2019 that can be found at any, yes any!, thrift shop.The 2019 Fashion Week Trend You Can Easily Find at Any Thrift Shop

I have a thing for vintage shopping. Well, that's clearly not a surprise. But I particularly love styling vintage pieces in a way that's modern and even on trend. Why? Because sometimes vintage gets such a bad rap for being equated with outdated. But it's super easy to style clothes that are decades old in a way that's current.A few years ago I rocked these high waisted vintage pants with an edgy vibe and now, I'm doing the same with a suit. You might remember this from a few weeks ago when I showed you seven ways to style a single vintage suit. That was a short and sweet video, but today I'm breaking down the actual process to create one look in particular.How to Style Vintage with a Modern Twist